Plan B Forum

The ACT government could be heading for another Human Rights Act clash as it prepares to ban smoking in Canberra's mental health treatment centres.

The Public Advocate is urging health authorities to show ''flexibility'' as it moves to ban smoking in health facilities where patients can be confined for years at a time.

The Health Directorate has ruled the Adult Mental Health Unit, the Mental Health Assessment Unit, the Withdrawal Unit at Canberra Hospital and the Brian Hennessy Rehabilitation Centre at Calvary will all be smoke free from next January 1.
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But smoking rates among mental health patients are up to 90 per cent in some groups and cigarettes have been tolerated in treatment centres, despite an official Health Directorate smoke-free policy being in force since 2008.

A report from the Human Rights Commission, published in 2009, urged caution, warning that a full ban on smoking ''may amount to an undue limitation on the freedoms of consumers who are detained and add to their overall anxiety levels when they have been admitted for acute psychiatric care''.

''It was also raised with the review team that voluntary patients may be reluctant to admit themselves for treatment if they know that they will be unable to smoke.

''An appropriate balance needs to be struck between the impact on consumers who smoke and the rights of non-smokers and staff to fresh air and a safe and healthy work environment.''

Public Advocate Anita Phillips told The Canberra Times that she was worried about patients who were dependant on cigarettes and whose illnesses meant they had to be confined, sometimes for years.

''I think we need to look for an alternative for people who are in a facility that is, in effect, their home or their long-term facility,'' Ms Phillips said. ''I think that we do need to look at alternatives''.

''I understand that in an acute medical facility there is a health issue and a health risk and a no-smoking policy is highly appropriate.

''But I would urge ACT Health to be flexible in the application of that policy in facilities that are for long-term residents.''

The Health Directorate's executive director of mental health Tina Bracher said it was in everyone's interest, including that of mental health patients, that the smoking ban be enforced.

''The Health Directorate has had a smoke-free campus since 2008, and there were designated smoking areas on the campus, one for staff and one for patients,'' Ms Bracher said. ''The mental health and alcohol and drug withdrawal units have always been set aside of that and this work is around bringing those areas in line with the policy that was implemented in 2008.''

Ms Bracher said mental health patients would benefit from the changes, arguing the ''co-morbidity of lung disease is amazingly high''.

''Staff and other patients are being continually exposed to passive smoke,'' Ms Bracher said.

''There's very strong clinical evidence that nicotine interferes with neurotransmitters in the brain and impacts on the efficacy of the psychotropic medications that we give to the patients.''

''We've had some discussion with the Health Services Commissioner around the issue of human rights and I've sought legal advice from the Government Solicitor's Office and we've consulted broadly with consumers and carers.''

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/nationa ... 2137w.html

Don't worry, I would never indulge, even though I know I could still quit whenever I wanted to, I'm not going to smoke again.

Crackpot wrote:Yes... But saying that you can quit whenever you want is an act of denial.

Even with champix/chantix quitting is never that easy or is it easy to delineate "want" from addiction

dales wrote:I was an out-patient in a mental hospital (major depression disorder) and it was "NO SMOKING"...I had to go outside to the parking lot and light up a fag.

dales wrote: